Portrait of Svend Hammershøi, the Artist´s Brother

Hammershøi's 'Portrait of Svend Hammershøi, the Artist's Brother' (1901) depicts the ceramicist Svend Hammershøi, himself a significant figure in Danish applied arts who worked with the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory. The two brothers maintained a close relationship throughout their lives, and Vilhelm's portrait of Svend carries the particular warmth of long familiarity rendered through art. Svend's ceramics, influenced by Japanese and Art Nouveau traditions, complemented Vilhelm's painting in the family's contribution to Danish visual culture around 1900. The Statens Museum for Kunst holds this as both a family document and a significant portrait.

Hammershøi renders his brother with characteristic directness and his typical restricted palette of cool greys and warm tones. The portrait has slightly more warmth than his most austere works — the familiarity of the relationship perhaps allowing a touch less emotional distance than his commissioned portraits. The face is modelled with smooth, precise brushwork that reveals form without theatrical light effects.